Sunday, July 9, 2006

Israel bars Palestinian Americans for first time since 1967

By various estimates, the ban has so far affected several thousand American and European nationals, whom Israel has kept from returning to their homes and jobs, or from visiting their families in the West Bank. This could potentially impact many more thousands who live in the territories - including university instructors and researchers, employees working in various vital development programs and business owners - as well as thousands of foreign citizens who pay annual visits to relatives there. The policy also applies to foreigners who are not Palestinian but are married to Palestinians, and to visiting academics.

The U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv told Haaretz that no Israeli official informed them of a change in entry policy, and said that the United States cannot intervene in sovereign decisions of another country. Several people who were refused entry and spoke with U.S. representatives said that the consulate and embassy are well aware of the apparently new policy.

(Ha! Tony, I just read this--unbelievable! The U.S. "cannot intervene in sovereign decisions of another country." Someone needs to jump out of the way fast before they get struck by lightening! This is the very definition of C H U T Z P A H.)--falastin.